Duxbury is purchasing a historic property in town and likely stopped a developer from building over 100 units in the Temple Street neighborhood.
The Harrington property built in 1696, sits on 17 acres at 761 Temple Street, right in the middle of a neighborhood filled with single family homes.
According to Duxbury Town Manager, Rene Read, the town was originally only looking to purchase 10 acres of the property which falls under the state’s Chapter 61A land but decided to purchase the entire property through imminent domain.
Chapter 61 was designed by the state to give property owners a tax break if the owner is using it for horticulture or farming which in turn places a lien on the land by the town it’s in.
So if the owner wants to sell the property the municipality has the right for first refusal.
Read says the developer was looking at building a large scale housing complex.
Duxbury officials plan to review the 17 acre Temple street property after the sale and decide what the town wants to do with it.
Possibly sell the home and keep a large portion of the land as open space.
